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Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: Robinson, Raiders, Weddle

March 10th, 2016 at 2:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Can Nate Robinson go from the pages of Hoops Rumors to Pro Football Rumors? In a YouTube video released this week, the diminutive former NBA guard announced that he is going to make a run at the NFL. The well-produced video features testimonials from Marcedes Lewis and Brendon Ayanbadejo, former NBA teammates Jamal Crawford and Glen Davis, as well as former football coach Rick Neuheisel, all of whom insist that Robinson is perhaps the only athlete who could make the transition from professional basketball to professional football.

Robinson originally went to the University of Washington on a football scholarship and made a name for himself on the gridiron with his electrifying plays, but it has been many years since he tried his hand at football. The 31-year-old (32 in May) did not say which position he would like to play in the NFL, but he spoke about both offense and defense in the video, inferring that he might try to market himself as being able to play on either side of the ball.

Here’s the latest news on some of this week’s more typical NFL free agents:

  • The Raiders are zeroing in on Eric Weddle, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. It’s not immediately clear whether Weddle has a visit scheduled with Oakland. We learned last night that the Steelers are also fond of the veteran.
  • The plan is for Akiem Hicks to visit the Bears tomorrow, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
  • Safety Rashad Johnson is traveling Friday for a visit with the Titans, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Chargers GM Tom Telesco says he’s ready for the second wave of free agency, as ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams writes. Telesco also says that he is open to newly signed safety Dwight Lowery serving as a stopgap for Eric Weddle.
  • Cardinals free agent linebacker Sean Weatherspoon will meet with the Falcons on Friday, per Jay Adams of the Falcons (on Twitter).

Falcons To Sign Mohamed Sanu

March 10th, 2016 at 1:36pm CST by Zachary Links

1:36pm: It’s a five-year, $32.5MM deal for Sanu, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The receiver will earn $14MM fully guaranteed.

1:30pm: The Falcons agreed to terms with former Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu on a five-year deal, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Agent Mike McCartney confirmed the agreement on Twitter. "<strong

Sanu, a third round pick of the Bengals in the 2012 draft, totaled 152 receptions and 15 touchdowns in Cincy. Eleven of those scores came as a receiver, while he also ran and passed for two apiece. The 26-year-old took a backseat in the Bengals’ passing game last season to A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert and Marvin Jones, catching 33 passes for 394 yards and no TDs. He was far more productive in 2014, though, putting up career bests in catches (56), receiving yards (790), YPC (14.1) and TDs (five).

He’s a good bet to return to similar form as the Falcons’ top option behind Julio Jones. That spot has been cleared for him now that the Falcons have released Roddy White. White made four Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2010, when he caught a career-high 110 passes for 1,389 yards and 10 touchdowns. However, the 34-year-old’s production has fallen off in recent years, leading Atlanta to seek out alternatives.

Sanu is the second Bengals wideout to depart Cincinnati this week, joining M. Jones – who’s headed to the Lions on a five-year, $40MM accord. Prior to free agency, Sanu ranked as PFR’s seventh-best available receiver, putting him behind M. Jones, Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Rueben Randle, Anquan Boldin, and Jermaine Kearse. He earned honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 List of NFL Free Agents.

Prior to signing with the Falcons, Sanu was also pursued by the Patriots.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: RG3, Rams, Chiefs

March 10th, 2016 at 12:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest free agent rumors:

  • Robert Griffin III would “very much” like to play for the Rams in Los Angeles, a source tells Vincent Bonsignore of the Daily News (on Twitter). The 49ers and the Broncos have also been connected to Griffin this week.
  • Despite outside interest, Tamba Hali says that he gave no thought at all to leaving the Chiefs, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets. The Falcons were reportedly a finalist for his services.
  • Stevan Ridley‘s market continues to unfold but the Patriots haven’t shown interest in a reunion, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. Still, Howe (link) points out that the Patriots reached out to Ridley late last offseason before he joined the Jets, so nothing can be completely ruled out, even though that union is still unlikely. Ridley racked up 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground back in 2012 for the Pats.
  • The Ravens reviewed eight free agent tight ends but after watching a handful of plays from Ben Watson on tape, they determined that he was their guy, GM Ozzie Newsome told reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • The Eagles‘ interest in defensive tackle Cedric Thornton is “tepid,” Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The Eagles haven’t ruled out a return, however.
  • The Seahawks are interested in guard Ted Larsen, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). As we learned yesterday, Larsen will also take a visit with the 49ers.

Falcons Sign Derrick Shelby

March 10th, 2016 at 8:44am CST by Sam Robinson

THURSDAY, 8:44am: The Falcons have officially signed Shelby, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 7:27pm: The Dolphins featured two defensive ends that received top-25 grades from Pro Football Focus last season. Both will suit up for other teams next season, the second such defection coming in the form of Derrick Shelby‘s decision to sign with the Falcons, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Atlanta’s adding Shelby on a four-year, $18MM deal that could be worth as much as $21MM and contains $7.5MM in guaranteed money. The contract contains a $5MM signing bonus, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Shelby joins Olivier Vernon as four-year Dolphins who received significant raises by signing with other teams today, with Vernon’s mammoth pact with the Giants overshadowing Shelby’s.

But Shelby, who took over for Cameron Wake in Miami’s lineup once the veteran defensive end was lost for the season, started eight games and performed well. PFF rated the former UDFA as its No. 23 overall edge-rusher despite Shelby starting just one game in his previous three seasons.

Shelby recorded 3.5 sacks after registering 5.5 in 2013-14 as a backup. The Falcons finished last in the league, accruing just 19 sacks as a team last season.

Falcons Sign Adrian Clayborn To Two-Year Deal

March 10th, 2016 at 8:43am CST by Connor J. Byrne

THURSDAY, 8:43am: The Falcons have officially announced their deal with Clayborn.

WEDNESDAY, 8:54am: The Falcons and defensive end Adrian Clayborn have agreed to a two-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport adds (on Twitter) that Clayborn will get a $9MM base with a chance to max out at $14MM. Clayborn is the second defensive end signing the Falcons have made today, joining Derrick Shelby.

Clayborn, whom the Falcons inked to a $4.5MM deal last winter, started in five of 16 appearances for the club during the 2015-16 campaign and logged 15 tackles and three sacks. The 27-year-old was also third among the Falcons’ defensive linemen in snaps (523) and earned a decent ranking (53rd out of 110 qualifying edge defenders) at Pro Football Focus (sub. required). Clayborn’s most productive years came in 2011 (42 tackles, 7.5 sacks) and 2013 (64 tackles, 5.5 sacks), both of which were spent in Tampa. He was the Bucs’ first-round pick in 2011.

Free Agent Visits: Ayers, C. Long, Whitehead

March 10th, 2016 at 8:18am CST by Luke Adams

With most top available pass rushers having flown off the board early on in the free agent period, defensive end Robert Ayers is in position to cash in with a team that missed out on that first wave of edge rushers. Ayers has a visit lined up with the Buccaneers, but that’s not the only meeting on his schedule.

Accordingn to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Ayers plans to remain in Florida following his visit with the Bucs, heading to Miami for a visit with the Dolphins. Miami has already signed one veteran defensive end in Mario Williams this week, but the team has also lost Olivier Vernon and Derrick Shelby, who each saw significant playing time in 2015. So the club could use another end to add to a group that already features Williams and Cameron Wake.

As we wait to see if Ayers ends up landing with a team in the Sunshine State, let’s round up the latest news on a few more free agent visits…

  • Defensive end Chris Long, who has already paid a visit to Washington, will visit with the Falcons today, according to ESPN’s Trey Wingo (Twitter link). Wingo’s colleague, Adam Schefter, reported on Wednesday that Long would be meeting with the Cowboys this week, but it appears that visit is either on hold or is not happening.
  • The Buccaneers are hosting linebacker Tahir Whitehead on a visit today, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. If Tampa Bay were to get something done with Whitehead, he would be a nice addition to a linebacking corps that features Lavonte David.
  • Free agent offensive tackle Andre Smith is expected to visit the Vikings next week, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Wolfson cautions that the situation is fluid, but says Smith is definitely on Minnesota’s radar. The Vikes have already fortified their offensive line by striking a deal with Alex Boone, but they continue to look for upgrades.
  • The Seahawks are hosting defensive tackle Cam Thomas for a visit today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who notes that Seattle may view the former Steeler as an affordable replacement for Brandon Mebane, who agreed to sign with San Diego.

NFC Contract Details: Vernon, Jenkins, Mack

March 9th, 2016 at 9:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are some of the latest details on many recent agreed-upon and signed contracts from out of the NFC (all links via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post unless otherwise indicated)…

NFC East:

  • Olivier Vernon, DE (Giants): Five years, $85MM. $52.5MM guaranteed. $20MM signing bonus. $7MM roster bonus due on fifth day of 2016 league year (Twitter links).
  • Janoris Jenkins, CB (Giants): Five years, $62.5MM. $28.8MM guaranteed. $10MM signing bonus. $1.4MM base salary in 2016 (Twitter link).
  • Brandon Brooks, G (Eagles): Five years, $40MM. $21MM guaranteed. $11MM signing bonus. $1MM base salary in 2016 and $5MM base salary in 2017 fully guaranteed (Twitter link).
  • Chase Daniel, QB (Eagles): Three years, $21MM base value. $36MM max value. $3MM signing bonus. $3MM roster bonus due on March 14. $3MM base escalators in 2017 and 2018 (Twitter link).
  • Colt McCoy, QB (Washington): Three years, $9MM base value. Third year can be voided based on playing time. $1.8MM signing bonus. $1MM annually in playing-time incentives (Twitter link).
  • Ron Brooks, CB (Eagles): Three years, $5.5MM. $1.55MM guaranteed. $750K signing bonus (Twitter link).

NFC South:

NFC North:

  • Marvin Jones, WR (Lions): Five years, $40MM. $20MM guaranteed. $8MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
  • Alex Boone, G (Vikings): Four years, $26.8MM. $10MM guaranteed. Annual $100K workout bonus (Twitter link).
  • Danny Trevathan, LB (Bears): Four years, $24.5MM. $12MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. $3.5MM roster bonus due on March 14 (Twitter link).
  • Michael Griffin, S (Vikings): One year, $2.5MM. $250K signing bonus. $500K of $1.65MM base salary guaranteed. Up to $500K in playing-time incentives (Twitter links).
  • Tavon Wilson, S (Lions): Two years, $2.2MM. $500K signing bonus. Up to $500K in annual playing-time incentives (Twitter link).

NFC West:

  • Mark Barron, OLB (Rams): Five years, $45MM. $20MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
  • William Hayes, DE (Rams): Three years, $17.5MM. $10MM guaranteed. $4MM roster bonus due on March 13 (Twitter link).
  • Tyvon Branch, S (Cardinals): Two years, $8MM. $1MM signing bonus. $1.75MM roster bonus in 2016, $1MM roster bonus in 2017 (Twitter link).
  • Tim Barnes, C (Rams): Two years, $5.6MM. $2.5MM guaranteed. $1.25MM roster bonus due in four days. $750K roster bonus due on third day of 2017 league year guaranteed for injury, skill; becomes fully guaranteed if on roster June 17. Up to $1MM in annual playing-time incentives. $250K annual Pro Bowl incentive (all Twitter links).
  • Brian Quick, WR (Rams): One year, $1.75MM. $1.5MM guaranteed ($1.25MM bas salary, $250K roster bonus due on March 15). $2MM stats incentive (Twitter link).

RFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/16

March 9th, 2016 at 9:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted free agents. We’ll round up those decisions here:

Tendered

Non-Tendered

Extra Points: Cruz, Hoyer, Glennon, Falcons

March 9th, 2016 at 6:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

On a day where the Giants are making aggressive efforts to improve their team in free agency, some clarity on one of their holdovers could be coming soon.

Victor Cruz is working out details in order to stay on the Giants, Art Stapleton of the Bergen Record reports (on Twitter). The former Pro Bowl slot stalwart has been M.I.A. with the Giants over the past 1 1/2 years due to knee and calf injuries. The Giants intended to release Cruz if the sides were unable to work out a restructure that would lower the receiver’s cap number, which currently sits at $9.90MM. But the sides have been optimistic this week about a resolution that keeps Cruz with the Giants.

Cruz and Odell Beckham have only started one game together, leaving a what-if factor looming around the Giants’ passing game. Cruz will be 30 in November.

Here’s the latest from around the league.

  • Buccaneers backup Mike Glennon could be a trade chip but will cost teams at least a third-round pick due to a potential compensatory draft selection’s involvement down the line, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. Glennon has one more season left on his rookie deal after which he can become an unrestricted free agent. The Bucs started No. 1 pick Jameis Winston in all 16 games last season. Glennon, who’s completed 58.8% of his passes in 18 starts and has thrown 29 touchdown passes compared to 15 interceptions, has been competent during previous stints and could be an attractive option for a quarterback-needy team. The Texans no longer reside in that group, but several other teams do, including the defending Super Bowl champions.
  • Fresh off making Brock Osweiler their quarterback of the future earlier today, the Texans now could include Brian Hoyer in trade scenarios, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes. Despite committing five turnovers in the wild card playoff loss to the Chiefs, Hoyer threw 19 TD passes compared to seven INTs last season in just nine starts. The 30-year-old signal-caller has one season left on the two-year, $10.5MM deal he signed last year with the Texans and is due to make $4MM in base salary this season.
  • The Falcons were interested in bringing aboard Mark Barron before he signed to stay with the Rams, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). McClure notes the Falcons were “very high” on Barron to perhaps return to strong safety. The Rams re-signed him with the intent to keep him at weakside linebacker.

Falcons To Host Mohamed Sanu, May Sign Him

March 9th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

4:30pm: According to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Sanu’s current asking price exceeds what the Pats had been looking to spend on a receiver. That may increase the odds of Sanu signing a deal with the Falcons before he leaves Atlanta for New England.

3:44pm: Not so fast, says Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Anderson gets an update from Sanu himself, who says the plan is to visit the Patriots after meeting with the Falcons. It’s still possible that the Falcons won’t let the wideout make that visit to New England, locking him up to a new deal during his visit, but it appears it’s not set in stone yet.Mohamed Sanu

3:29pm: Free agent receiver Mohamed Sanu is on his way to Atlanta to sign a deal worth $7MM per year, ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini reports (Twitter link). A long list of clubs have expressed interest in Sanu, including the Giants, Patriots, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Washington, but the Falcons will come out on top for his services.

Sanu, whom the Bengals selected in the third round of the 2012 draft, totaled 152 receptions and 15 touchdowns in Cincy. Eleven of those scores came as a receiver, while he also ran and passed for two apiece. The 26-year-old took a backseat in the Bengals’ passing game last season to A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert and Marvin Jones, catching 33 passes for 394 yards and no TDs. He was far more productive in 2014, though, putting up career bests in catches (56), receiving yards (790), YPC (14.1) and TDs (five). He’s a good bet to return to similar form as the Falcons’ top option behind Julio Jones.

Sanu is the second Bengals wideout to depart Cincinnati today, joining Jones – who’s headed to the Lions on a five-year, $40MM accord. Prior to free agency, Sanu ranked as PFR’s seventh-best available receiver.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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